The invention relates in general terms to a device for controlling the mass flow rate of a liquid or gaseous medium and, in particular, to a throttle body in accordance with features.
Such devices are well known. DE 32 44 103 A1, for example, has disclosed a throttle body with a tubular housing, the housing having an overall cross section of flow bounded by an essentially circularcylindrical inner wall. When the flap mounted in the housing is rotated, the mass flow rate rises steeply with increasing rotation from a minimum position in the direction of a maximum position.
DE 43 19 015 A1 has likewise disclosed a device for controlling the mass flow rate in which the characteristic can be adapted within predeterminable ranges.
The disadvantage of these two devices, however, is that there is an excessive rise in the mass flow rate as the opening of the flap increases. As a result, there is a continuous increase in the mass flow rate over the working range of the flap, this being a disadvantage since the increase in the mass flow rate becomes too great as the opening of the flap increases. Particularly in the case of internal combustion engines in vehicles in which the power output is controlled by means of the position of the throttle flap, sensitive control of the power output is not possible if the air mass rises too steeply as the throttle flap is opened to an increasing extent.